The iPhone 5 News Blog

Citing “people familiar with the situation,” WSJ is reporting that orders for new 4-inch-plus displays for the iPhone 5 will only commence in June, further suggesting a fall release.

Today, WSJ offered up a new rumor, citing their “people familiar with the situation,” regarding the iPhone 5′s display and production schedule. The report, filed by Lorainne Luk and Juno Osawa, further support the wide-held belief that the new iPhone will feature a screen size increase somewhere in the 4-inch range. This may not come as big news to those who have been following iPhone 5 rumors for the past year or so, but the WSJ article’s claims regarding the production and order schedule for the iPhone 5′s new display is noteworthy:

“Production is set to begin next month for the screens, which measure at least 4 inches diagonally compared with 3.5 inches on the iPhone 4S, the latest phone from Apple, the people said.”

Assuming that WSJ has the story right, this news would obviously disqualify the iPhone 5 from making its debut at the WWDC this year, as it remains to be seen if there would be enough lead time between now and the actual launch of a post-WWDC-announced iPhone 5 to produce enough iPhone 5s for a launch in early July. Jonny Evans at Computerworld makes this point well, stating: “Given the need to stockpile millions of these displays in order to build millions of iPhones, commencing display production marries well with claims of a September launch for the device.”

Stalwart June iPhone 5 release date truthers will ask: how accurate and reliable is WSJ and their “people familiar with the situation?” Read More

A new report dropped today that Samsung is seeing “huge” demand for flexible OLED screen technology, and Apple is purportedly one of the biggest buyers. How is Apple going to use OLED technology, and will we see it used in 2012?

If you’re a big fan of those bendy OLED screens that you’ve seen showcased at sundy tech conventions over the past year or, then you’re in luck: it would appear that either the latter half of 2012 or the start of 2013 will kick off the mainstream use of OLED technology in . . . something. What the device or devices will be — and exactly how the flex-screened OLED technology will be leveraged remains to be seen.

The report comes by way of Apple Insider, who had this to say:

Citing industry sources in the Far East, The Korea Times reported that Apple is “likely” to be one of the handset makers who will ask Samsung to provide them with flexible OLED screens. Mass production of bendable OLED screens is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2012. Talk of Apple and flexible OLED displays surfaced after Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun revealed his company has seen “huge” orders from device makers for its pliable organic light emitting diode displays. The report from Korea said while a flexible OLED will not be found in Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone, expected to be launched later this year, it’s possible that Apple could adapt the technology in the future.

For those who were hoping to jump on the “second half of 2012″ phrase from the quote above as proof that the iPhone 5 will ship in the fall (on the assumption that Apple will use this technology on the next iPhone),Apple Insider is quick to point out that there is no shot to see OLED on the new iPhone this year. Even with Samsung’s rollout of OLED products commencing in the second half of the year, the initial press run will be “limited,” suggesting that the technology will be extremely expensive and exclusive to begin with.

So, assuming that Apple is going to begin buying into OLED technology, how, where, and when can we expect to see it on their products? Read More

DigiTimes is floating a new rumor claiming that we’ll see a Mini iPad release in August and the much-anticipated iPhone 5 in September.

Citing an unnamed source in Asia, DigiTimes is claiming to have the inside track on the release dates for both the Mini iPad and the iPhone 5, as well as a 10-inch iPad — all of which are said to becoming before the year’s end. The new article states that “Pegatron Technology reportedly has landed orders for a new-generation iPhone to be launched in September and a 10-inch iPad to be launched in the fourth quarter, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers,” but that also “a 7-inch iPad, which reportedly will be released in August, will be manufactured by Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry).”

If DigiTimes‘ sources are to be believed, there could very well be an Apple product launch in August, September, and October — and perhaps even November, if the iTV doesn’t make an appearance at the WWDC in June.  But Jonny Evans at Computerworld reminds us that: “These claims don’t come from Pegatron, but from Digitimes’ shadowy world of ‘Taiwan-based supply chain makers’ — in itself a demographic to conjure with, do people make supply chains?”

Is there any reason to believe that DigiTimes has any part of this rumor correct? Read More

Apple is upping the ante on its new Nano-sim card standard, offering a royalty-free license to its competitors in order to get it passed this month. Is this a desperate play to get the new standard adopted in time for a June iPhone 5 launch?

Last week, we wrote an article about the strange sighting of a purported iPhone 5 sim card tray, which looks almost identical to the one being used in the iPhone 4S. This rumor came as a surprise since, as we pointed out, the ETSI, which sets these standards, had been stalling in making a final decision on Apple’s new Nano-sim card design, based on complaints from its competitors.

Now, there are some new developments worth reporting on, since this news could play a major role in whether the iPhone 5 has any chance of being released in June. Read More

The Vertu Ascent - a LiquidMetal-based dumbphone

Last month, rumors broke out of Asia that LiquidMetal, the innovative metal alloy licensed exclusive for use in consumer electronics by Apple, would be featured in the iPhone 5′s form factor. That rumor was only the latest in a long-running belief that the iPhone 5 would be the iPhone iteration that finally factored LiquidMetal into its design, but this latest rumor propelled LiquidMetal’s stock price up, as more and more investors seem to be buying it (the rumor and the shares).

But a recent interview with LiquidMetal’s inventor reveals that, while his plastic-like metal alloy may indeed make its way onto the iPhone 5, it might not be used to create a mind-blowingly cool form factor that many are anticipating.

Quoting the interview, Mobile&Apps reports that Dr. Atakan Peker believes that the implementation of LiquidMetal to be used in a large-scale production effort, such as an iPhone’s chassis or form factor, is still a way’s away:

“There is “no suitable manufacturing infrastructure yet to take full advantage of the alloy technology,” Peker said. According to him, the technology “has yet to be matured and perfected both in manufacturing process and application development,” and it would cost Apple quite a fortune. “I estimate that Apple will likely spend on the order of $300 million to $500 million – and three to five years – to mature the technology before it can be used in large scale,” he told Business Insider.”

To be sure, the $300 to $500 million-dollar price tag for ramping up the manufacturing infrastructure to use LiquidMetal would not seem like much of a problem for Apple, which is quite possibly the most solvent supercompany in the world today. But Dr. Peker’s claim that there is ”no suitable manufacturing infrastructure yet to take full advantage of the alloy technology” is somewhat believable, when you consider that LiquidMetal is not currently used to produce any large-scale product, in terms of its manufacturing scope.

But there are plenty of other “complex” products on the market today that feature LiquidMetal. Read More

The well-sourced iLounge has painted a new picture of what the iPhone 5 could look like, including its screen size, connectivity, and use of metal (maybe LiquidMetal?) on its back.

Chunky details are emerging from an unnamed source at iLounge. Jeremy Horwitz usually delivers the goods over there, so what he has to say is most definitely checking out. Here’s what he had to say about the iPhone 5:

“. . . the new iPhone will indeed be longer and thinner than the iPhone 4 and 4S. Approximate measurements are 125mm by 58.5mm by 7.4mm—a 10mm jump in height, nearly 2mm reduction in thickness, and virtually identical width. According to our source, Apple will make one major change to the rear casing, adding a metal panel to the central back of the new iPhone. This panel will be flat, not curved, and metal, not ceramic.”

The rear metal casing, as iLounge’s in-house graphics guru has depicted above, could very well fit in nicely with the recent LiquidMetal rumors, no? In a sense, it’s hard to imagine that Apple would use the incredibly innovative LiquidMetal alloy to make a very plain-backed iPhone 5. Some have suggested that it’ll feature some kind of etched, holographic feature (maybe the Apple logo?). Whatever it is, it would have to substantiate the extra cost of using it — Apple may own the exclusive rights to use LiquidMetal on gadgets, but it doesn’t own the company. Thus, using it will be an expense. Read More

Purported leaked photos of a new sim card tray for the iPhone 5 appear to be remarkably similar in size and design to that of the iPhone 5. How does this story connect with the ETSI’s delay of Apple’s new “nano sim” standard?

By now you’ve probably heard about rumors of a leaked iPhone 5 sim card tray that is making its rounds on various tech blogs and media outlets. The photos — typically of most purported leaked components for the iPhone 5 — detail a sim card tray that looks remarkably similar in size and design to the sim card tray currently used on the iPhone 4S. Read More

A staffer at a top U.S. brokerage firm that handles Intel and Apple’s ocean/air accounts has informed the iPhone 5 News Blog that “something big is about to happen.” The source provided me with the address and telephone number of where she works, and I was able to call and verify her employment at the brokerage firm.

“Recently my team and I have been getting A LOT of protocol from Apple lately, and I can tell you there is something big getting ready to happen. Whether or not it’s the iPhone I’m not at liberty to say, but the paperwork has definately beefed up, and I’m positive it’s not MacBooks or iPads. Nothing has been flown out, but they are definately getting everything in order for customs and the FCC, I can tell you that.”

The “protocol” that the source is referring to is the routine in which a particular business runs and sets up its paperwork before going to audit or customs.

I also asked about the reference to the FCC. The source explained that “everything that comes from overseas gets labeled either from the FDA or FCC. Most electronics are FCC, while all food is FDA.” Read More

One of Apple’s newest patent filings outlines a new NFC-based iTunes gifting concept. But it also highlights a possible iWallet logo or even an NFC hardware component position. Is Apple preparing its first foray into NFC for iOS 6 and the iPhone 5 this year?

Near field Communication, or NFC for short, has long been rumored for the iPhone 5. In fact, it was one of the first big rumored features for the iPhone 5 way back in the second half of 2012, after the iPhone 4 had been released. A year and half and one iPhone 4S later, we still do not have an Apple device with NFC technology, or the ability to “wave and pay” for products. Yet, because we know that Apple seeks to make the iPhone a mobile device that intersects with virtually every facet of our mobile lifestyles — communication, socialization, entertainment, information access, and purchasing/finances — NFC technology is more than a flashy, fad-driven feature; it is an inevitable function of next-generation mobile devices.

There are, of course, difficulties surrounding the NFC rollout: Apple needs to build an incredibly secure method for interfacing users’ finances with a wireless payment system that makes the transfer of data and money quick and easy. Also, they need to get the entire mainstream retail sector to buy into it, and utilize the hardware necessary to accept NFC payments. These challenges, together with some users’ uneasiness about the concept of wave and pay in general, are all obstacles that make NFC’s risk/reward ratio questionable.

Apple’s latest NFC-related patent, however, which was just filed on April 26th, reveals a new scheme that might have Cupertino deploying NFC in a more limited format as soon as this year. Most importantly, the patent illustrations reveal an interesting schematic for NFC hardware on the iPhone, and where it might be placed. Read More

Analyst Peter Misek reads the tea leaves of component production in Asia and predicts a major ramping up of iPhone 5 production in September, thinner profile, bigger screen, and more DPI. But what is his track record for prognosticating the iPhone 5 accurately? 

Jefferies & Co.‘s Peter Misek has written so many reports about the iPhone 5 that he might have officially earned a title for it. Financial analyst Nouriel Roubini is known as “Dr. Doom” for predicting the financial meltdown. So, is Misek “Dr. iPhone 5,” perhaps? His reports and perspectives are typically the start of a brand-new cycle in the rumor mill, and I suspect he knows it. He’s even comfortable using the term “iPhone 5″ in his reports — a working title/place holder for the 6th generation iPhone that we, the techies, use because it’s easy to do so.

Who knows what Apple will really call it.

There’s no doubt that Mr. Misek knows his stuff about the consumer electronics production scene, but when it comes to making predictions, should we be listening to him? Moreover, should investors be listening to him? Let’s take a look back at his track record on predicting the features and release date of the iPhone 5. Read More